Selector drums for circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

SELECTOR DRUMS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES WITH A LOWER BASE HAVING A SLOT AND A BORE CORRESPONDING RESPECTIVELY WITH A DIAMETRAL RIB AND PIN OF A ROTARY PAD MOUNTED ON ONE RING OF THE MACHINE, THE UPPER COVER OF SAID DRUM BEING ROTATABLY COUPLABLE TO AN AXIALLY DISPLACEABLE SHAFT MACHANISM. THE UPPER COVER HAS A RECESS IN WHICH THERE IS INSERTED A BUSHING FIXED TO AN AXIAL ROD SURROUNDED BY A HELICAL SPRING WHICH URGES THE BUSHING INTO COUPLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RECESS IN THE COVER, THE AXIAL ROD BEING CONNECTED TO A KNOB TO WHICH TRACTION MAY BE APPLIED AGAINST THE SPRING PRESSURE TO PULL THE BUSHING OUT OF THE RECESS, LEAVING THE UPPER END OF THE DRUM FREE AND ALLOWING FOR ITS EASY REMOVAL.

NOV. 2, 1971 GUELL 3,616,655

SELECTOR DRUMS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 r r INVENTOR: 305E- MAQAA DALMALJ GUELA...

BY w M AT ORNEYS SELECTOR DRUMS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1970 J. M. D. GUELL Nov. 2', 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IQNVENTOR: ALMAU G-ueu.

Jose MARIA D BYMMWM M ATTORNEYS J. M. D. GUELL 3,616,655

SELECTOR DRUMS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Nov. 2, E71

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 10, 1970 L 5 RE mm W m {m V T W A United States Patent 3,616,655 SELECTOR DRUMS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Jos M. Dalmau Guell, San Bruno 103, Badalona, Spain Filed July 10, 1970, Ser. No. 53,817 Int. Cl. D04b /74 US. Cl. 6650 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Selector drums for circular knitting machines with a lower base having a slot and a bore corresponding respectively with a diametral rib and pin of a rotary pad mounted on one ring of the machine, the upper cover of said drum being rotatably couplable to an axially displaceable shaft mechanism. The upper cover has a recess in which there is inserted a bushing fixed to an axial rod surrounded by a helicalspring which urges the bushing into coupling engagement with the recess in the cover, the axial rod being connected to a knob to which traction may be applied against the spring pressure to pull the bushing out of the recess, leaving the upper end of the drum free and allowing for its easy removal.

The present invention refers to improvements in the selector drums for circular knitting machines, particularly to the assembly and operation of the selector drums which, as is shown, actuate the column of selector levers for the jack control.

The above mentioned drums are subjected to angular indexing for the above mentioned purposes so that their mounting on the support members of the machine is rather complex. Ordinarily, it is difficult to achieve a simple, practicable system for the installation and removal of the said drums, so that these operations are laborious and time. consuming.

In order to overcome the above disadvantages, the present selector drum includes an improved mounting which provides easy changeover or replacement of the selector drum and permits the required angular indexing. The improved mounting is accomplished by fitting the lower base on a rotary pad fitted in the interior of a ring or housing which is mounted on a main support ring of the machine and also by rotatably coupling its upper cover to a mechanical arrangement having an axially displaceable shaft to allow for removal and replacement of the drum, which mechanical arrangement is fixed to a further main support ring of the machine frame, so that the angular indexing of the pad is transmitted to the drum directly.

The coupling drive means between the lower base of the drum and the rotary pad is performed by insertion of a diametrally disposed rib of the pad in a slot disposed for said purpose in the base, as well as the insertion of an offset pin carried by the pad in a bore in the base, so that this latter arrangement ensures that these elements may be assembled in only one properly timed position.

The coupling between the upper cover of the drum and the mechanical arrangement containing the axially displaceable shaft, is performed by insertion of a bushing in a recess in the upper cover, which bushing is fixed to an axial rod. A spring surrounds the rod and urges the bushing into coupling engagement with the upper cover, whilst the rod is connected at its upper end to a knob. This assembly is housed in a bracket fixed to a main support ring of the machine frame, so that, when the knob is pulled out, the bushing is pulled out of the upper cover and the drum is freed.

Further aims and features of the invention will be given in detail in the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a selector drum mounted and coupled according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section view, illustrating the selector drum in dotted lines and with some of the parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a plan view looking down on the lower support ring of the machine with certain selector drums removed and with parts broken away.

A selector drum, broadly indicated at 1, comprises a cylindrical tubular body 2, with a lower base 3 and an upper cover 4. A lower base 3 is a pressure fit in the lower end of the body 2, and has a diametral slot 5 on its lower face. The upper cover 4 is similar to the lower base 3 and has a recess 6 in its upper face.

In drum 1, as in the conventional types, there are radially disposed selector bits 7 which are inserted in axial slots 8 arranged for this purpose. The selector bits 7 are suitably cut in each case to provide each of them with butts 9 which actuate the machine jack control devices situated in the selection column 10.

The slot 5 in the lower base 3 is connected to rotary pad 11 by means of a diametral rib 12. A pin 13 extends upwardly from the base 3 and into a bore 14 (FIG. 2). This pin 13 is offset from the centre so that there may be only one properly timed mounting position. The pad 11 is housed in a ring 15 in fixed relation with one of a main support ring 16 forming part of the machine structure. By means of a suitable mechanism, the pad 11 is suitably indexed angularly to turn the drum 1 in a step by step manner. Within the ring 15 there is a resilient positioning device for the pad 11 which comprises a ball 20, a spring 21 and a screw 22 (FIG. 2). The ball 20 is partially housed in one of a series of notches 23 situated in the circumference of the pad 11, to resiliently hold the pad steady between indexing movements.

The upper cover 4 is removably coupled to a mechanical arrangement, broadly indicated at 25 (FIG. 1) which is axially displaceable and comprises a bushing 26, the lower end of which penetrates in the recess 6. The bushing 26 is fixed by a set screw 27 to the lower end of an axial rod or shaft 28 the upper end of which is provided with a knob 29. This assembly is housed in a bracket 30 fixed to another main support ring 31 of the machine, by means of a screw 32. A helical spring 33 is provided around the rod 28 and resiliently urges the bushing 26 into the recess 6 of the upper cover 4.

As the drum indexes, the butts 9 arranged around the drum 1 contact selector levers 35 forming part of the selector column 10. The levers 35 which are supported in alternate arrangement with spacers 36, are pivoted on a shaft 37 carried by the column 10. The selector column frame is formed by slotted lateral bars 38 (between which the spacers 36 are fixed by adhesive), an upper plate 39 held in position with screws 40, and a lower plate 41 to which the bars are attached by screws 42. A screw 43 (FIG. 2) holds the upper end of the assembly through a bore 44 to the upper cover plate 39. Lateral screws 45 (FIG. 3) hold the strips 46 against the bars 38. The strips 46 act as limiting stops for the stroke of the levers 35.

As has been stated, the drums I operate by indexing around their axis under the effect of the pad 11. The movement of drum 1 determines the occasional register of its butts 9 with a year end portion 35a of the levers 35 which oscillate somewhat around their shaft whereby a front neb 35b ceases to select the corresponding machine jack, not shown. A leaf spring 47 returns the lever 35 to the initial rest position on breaking contact with the butt 9 of the drum 1, the springs 47 being held by strips 48 fixed by screws 49 (FIG. 3).

As will be appreciated, the mounting and driving arrangements of the drums 1, as they have been described, allow for their easy mounting in and removal from the machine, in a very short time. The drum l is removed by raising the knob 29, against the pressure of spring 33 so that the upper end of the drum 1 is free. In the normal working position, as shown in FIG. 1, the spring holds the drum 1 firm by way of bushing 26.

What I claim is:

1. Means for removably mounting selector drums of a circular knitting machine having spaced apart upper and lower main support rings, said selector drums each including a lower base and upper cover, said removable mounting means comprising (a) a rotary drive pad supported for rotation in said lower main support ring,

(b) coupling drive means operatively associated with said rotary drive pad and said lower base for drivingly connecting same, and

(c) means removable coupling said upper cover to said main support ring, said means including -(1) an axially displaceable shaft supported for longitudinal movement in said upper main support ring, and

(2) resilient means normally urging said axially displaceable shaft into coupling engagement with said upper cover.

2. In an apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said coupling drive means (b) comprises a diametral rib and an offset pin extending upwardly from and carried by said rotary drive pad, and wherein said lower base of said drum includes a diametral slot and a bore therein, said slot and bore being adapted to receive said rib and said offset pin for drivingly connecting said rotary drive pad and said lower base in the proper timed relationship.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means removable coupling said upper cover to said upper main support ring comprises a bushing fixed on the lower end of said axially displaceable shaft, said upper cover having a recess therein adapted to receive said bushing for rotatably supporting the upper end of said drum, and wherein said resilient means comprises a spring surrounding said axially displaceable shaft and normally maintaining said bushing in engagement with the recess in said upper cover, and means carried by the upper end of said axially displaceable shaft for manually rising the same to remove said bushing from the recess in said upper cover and to thereby leave the upper end of said drum free for removal thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,737,598 12/1929 Lombardi 66-25 X 2,990,702 7/1961 Schmidt 66156 X FOREIGN PATENTS 461,016 2/1937 Great Britain 66-25 996,291 6/1965 Great Britain 6650 B WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US Cl. X.R. 66156 

